What You Should Know About Waxing And Acne
Can Waxing Cause Acne?
It seems that many women tend to experience an acne breakout after waxing. Like many women, I am a slave to getting my excess hair removed by this process, and I too have suffered my fair share of acne flare-ups afterwards. Is it due to the waxing? The answer to this question may not be what you expected.
What Really Happens When You Wax
Waxing is a process in which hair is trapped within cooled wax and then forcibly ripped from the skin. In essence, you are tearing out hundreds of hairs all at the same time. While it's not exactly a brutal process, it's not what we can call gentle either.
When your hair is removed via waxing, the follicle and pores are left open and irritated. Add this to the fact that bacteria can collect where the hair was removed and it's not hard to see why those telltale little pimples begin to appear shortly after your waxing session.
What You Can Do Minimize Breakouts
Given the fact that waxing can leave your hair follicles in a damaged condition, you probably want to do what you can to avoid a breakout. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help.
First, and most important, is to make sure that your skin is clean and dry before you wax. This will decrease the chance of infection and will minimize any irritation. If you still encounter problems with post-waxing acne, you can make use of a mild anti-septic or acne cream.
You should also keep in mind that waxing is not the only way for you to remove or cover up the appearance of body hair. There are other options, such as hair removal cream and bleaching. Both of these, when used properly, can help you avoid an acne breakout due to waxing.